


Sandworm Aftermath

by Shy30SomethingLovesDeadThings



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Drabble, Gen, Light Angst, Musical-verse, Whump, based on a comic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 19:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21213614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shy30SomethingLovesDeadThings/pseuds/Shy30SomethingLovesDeadThings
Summary: Short drabble based on Tumblr user @greykolla-art's Beetlejuice comic. The aftermath of a sandworm attack.





	Sandworm Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely love @greykolla-art‘s little sandworm comic and (with permission!) wrote a fic scene to go with it. [See the comic here.](https://greykolla-art.tumblr.com/post/186060149830/angst-angst-badly-drawn-angst)

The spacious living room, once a visual testimony to the efforts the Deetz's and Maitland's had made to living together in peace, was now in shambles. The chair and loveseat were overturned and knocked across the floor, leaving long scratches in the bright wood; the heavier couch still stood upright, though the upholstery was gouged.

The silence was deafening.

Only moments ago it had been different. The sandworm had chased Adam from the porch right through the front doors and into the home, roaring loud enough to vibrate the strong wooden floorboards under Lydia's feet. Even now dust still hung in the air, slowly settling.

The first sound to break the silence was weak coughing as the teen pushed herself up off the floor. Adam’s protective presence hovered next to her as they both peered around the couch, where they had taken refuge when the creature attacked.

"I-is it gone?" Adam asked tentatively.

Barbara popped up beside Adam and then flopped over the top of the couch, her face pressed into the damaged cushion. "Whew!" she sighed.

Adam pulled his wife upright to check her for wholeness until Lydia's startled gasp brought both their heads around to survey the room.

Standing in the middle of the floor, between the slashed couch and the front doors, stood Beetlejuice. His back was to them and the talkative demon was unusually still.

"Uh, Beej?" Lydia spoke tentatively, remembering the swipe that the sandworm had taken at Beetlejuice during the attack. "Are you okay? It got you pretty good there…"

Soundlessly the striped specter slid into a boneless heap on the floor.

"No!" gasped Lydia and the Maitlands as one.

Lydia scrambled to her feet and bolted across the room with the other two spirits. Somehow Adam got there first, kneeling and carefully turning Beetlejuice over, propping his head up against Adam's lap.

Beetlejuice's face, normally pale under his grubby look, was stark white. Even his hair looked like it had frosted tips. Lydia gave a strained whine at the sight of her friend. One fist pressed against her lips in dread. There was a jagged slash across the specter's torso, made from the worm's gnashing teeth. The striped fabric was stained dark red around the wound, and even though it was tinged green at the edges, it looked enough like human blood to panic her.

"Beetlejuice!" Lydia searched his still face frantically, then looked up at Adam and Barbara. "But ghosts can't die!" she said, ignoring how shrill her voice was climbing with her fear. "He didn't get eaten, so he'll be okay! R-right?"

The Maitlands looked at her, expressions worried and uncertain. As the recently deceased, they rarely had answers to the girl's questions about the afterlife.

A croaking voice brought all their attention back down to the floor. Slowly Beetlejuice squinted open bloodshot eyes. "Not dead. Again. Just. Very uncomfortable," he wheezed.

Barbara exhaled. Adam flexed his hands, streaked with dark demon blood. Lydia sniffed wetly, and Beetlejuice said, slowly and with effort, "You all look awful." He appeared to think for a moment. "Cryin' over my corpse?"

"As if I would," Lydia replied, but her voice wavered as she forced a crooked, relieved smile.


End file.
